Tag Archives: bridal beauty

DIY Tutorial: Glitter Gel Manicure

March 28, 2014 in Bridal Beauty, DIY Tutorials. Written by Kat

I’m slightly obsessed with gel manicures. I find nothing more annoying than nail varnish that chips the first time I wear it, so I love that gels last up to 4 weeks and without damaging your nails underneath. However getting them done professionally all the time can be really blooming expensive. After realising what a dent in my bank balance my love affair was having, I decided to see if there was a DIY option. And so I uncovered a brand new obsession.

Unfortunately I quickly found out that the gel brands used by the professionals (Gelish, Shellac etc) aren’t available for purchase by us mere mortals. Everywhere I looked you needed a trade card to be allowed to buy them. BOO to that!

Refusing to be beaten I kept on searching high and low, and I think that I’ve now not only finally uncovered my perfect formula, but I’ve figured out how to do a DIY glitter manicure too! Even the professional manicurist I went too didn’t have glitter options with as much coverage as this method gave me.

The first thing that you’ll need is a UV LED lamp, which cures (hardens) the gel. I did a little test to see if it was possible to do it without one and it’s just not. I left some gel polish on a piece of paper and 24 hours later it was still sticky.

I bought the SensatioNAIL Starter Set from Boots. It comes with the lamp, nail primer, cleanser, base and top coat, and your choice of colour polish. While the lamp does the trick I was disappointed with the colours available. I bought ‘Rose’ which was the brightest pink they had in stock but the results were baby pink, almost nude finish nails. That simply would not do! I also found the top coat to not be very effective. The first time I did it my nails started to peel within 2 – 3 days.

The starter set costs £69.99, which may seem like a lot initially, but when consider that getting them done professionally costs upward of £30, it pays for itself after just a few uses.

In terms of the colours, Bluesky is the best non-professional brand I’ve found so far. You can buy them on Amazon, they’re only £5 a pop and there are literally hundreds of colours to choose from. There are so many in fact that it’s a little overwhelming. The one I’m using in this tutorial is Neon Cherise, a super hot neon pink. Love it!

OK, so enough gassing, on with the tutorial!

Supplies Needed

♥ UV LED lamp
♥ Gel nail primer
♥ Gel nail cleanser
♥ Gel base coat and top coat
♥ Gel polish colour of your choice
♥ Pot of glitter, mine was from Hobbycraft
♥ Tissue/ cotton pads
♥ Orange stick
♥ Nail file

Method

Step one: Trim and file your nails to the desired length. Prep the nails by wiping with the gel cleanser and then apply a thin coat of the pre-gel primer. Leave to air dry for 30 seconds.

DIY Tutorial: Glitter Gel Manicure

🎨️

I’m slightly obsessed with gel manicures. I find nothing more annoying than nail varnish that chips the first time I wear it, so I love that gels last up to 4 weeks and without damaging your nails underneath. However getting them done professionally all the time can be really blooming expensive. After realising what a dent in my bank balance my love affair was having, I decided to see if there was a DIY option. And so I uncovered a brand new obsession.

Continue reading...

March 28, 2014

DIY Tutorial: Low Twisted Bun

March 7, 2014 in DIY Tutorials. Written by Kat Photos by Mark Brooke Photography

Today’s DIY hair tutorial is actually quite a classic bridal hairstyle. But funk it up with your most fabulous accessories and it can be anything but! This is the third tutorial from my collaboration with Your Cloud Parade and 10.11 Make Up (you can see last week’s hidden braid and the previous week’s faux hawk here!)

Supplies Needed

♥ Hairspray (we used Kenra Volume Spray)
♥ Bobby and hair pins
♥ Curling iron (we used Hot Tools – barrel size may vary based on length of hair, just for adding texture)
♥ Texture spray (we used Kevin Murphy Resort Spray) or spray wax (we love KMS Hair Play spray wax)
♥ Backcomber (we used Tool Structure Tortoise Backcomber)

Method

Step one: Add some texture to the hair by adding some curl. Spray with some texturizing spray or spray wax.

Step two: Section out the hair around the crown of your head, leaving out the front and sides- you will want enough hair on each side for braids, as well as any hair you want framing your face.

Backcomb/ tease the hair you have gathered at the back of the crown. Gather the hair around the crown and pin from each side creating an “x”. You can slightly push the hair up to create lift and volume prior to pinning.

Take one side of the hair you left down, leaving out any hair you want framing your face, and braid.

DIY Tutorial: Low Twisted Bun

🎨️

Today's DIY hair tutorial is actually quite a classic bridal hairstyle. But funk it up with your most fabulous accessories and it can be anything but! This is the third tutorial from my collaboration with Your Cloud Parade and 10.11 Make Up (you can see last week's hidden braid and the previous week's faux hawk here!)

Continue reading...

March 7, 2014

DIY Tutorial: Half Up, Half Down, Hidden Hair Braid

February 28, 2014 in Bridal Beauty, DIY Tutorials. Written by Kat Photos by Mark Brooke Photography

Today I’m sharing the second hair tutorial from my collaboration with Your Cloud Parade and 10.11 Make Up (you can see last week’s faux hawk here!) This is a elegant and ethereal a half up, half down hidden braid style would be perfect for boho or casual brides. And I promise it’s not as complicated as it sounds!

The best bit? It uses all the same supplies and products as last week’s tutorial so if you tooled up for that one you can now give this one a bash too!

Supplies Needed

Method

Step one: Add some texture to the hair by adding some curl. Spray with some texturizing spray or spray wax.

Step two: Add volume by sectioning out the hair around the crown of your head, leaving out the front and sides. You will want enough hair on each side for braids, as well as any hair you want framing your face based on the desired finished look you would like.

Backcomb or tease the hair you have gathered at the back of the crown. Start the backcomb about 3 1/2 inches from the scalp, pressing the hair down towards your scalp to create a cushion.

DIY Tutorial: Half Up, Half Down, Hidden Hair Braid

🎨️

Today I'm sharing the second hair tutorial from my collaboration with Your Cloud Parade and 10.11 Make Up (you can see last week's faux hawk here!) This is a elegant and ethereal a half up, half down hidden braid style would be perfect for boho or casual brides. And I promise it's not as complicated as it sounds! The best bit? It uses all the same supplies and products as last week's tutorial so if you tooled up for that one you can now give this one a bash too!

Continue reading...

February 28, 2014

DIY Tutorial: Faux Hawk Bridal Hairstyle

February 21, 2014 in Bridal Beauty, DIY Tutorials. Written by Kat Photos by Mark Brooke Photography

Over the next month, every Friday, I’ll be showcasing an original bridal (but not super-traditional, obviously!) hairstyle idea. These super simple but utterly gorgeous DIYs have been pulled together by the fantastic Your Cloud Parade, the first online marketplace dedicated to weddings, and 10.11 Make Up exclusively for Rock n Roll Bride!

ENJOY!

Supplies Needed

♥ Hairspray (we used Kenra Volume Spray)
♥ Bobby and hair pins
♥ Curling iron (we used Hot Tools)
♥ Texture spray (we used Kevin Murphy Resort Spray) or spray wax (we love KMS Hair Play spray wax)
♥ Backcomber (we used Tool Structure Tortoise Backcomber)

Method

Step one: Add some texture to the hair by adding some curl. Spray the hair with texturizing spray, as well as a little hairspray. This will help the hair hold the backcombing/ teasing for the next step.

Step two: Part the hair into 3 sections so that you have a mohawk section of hair starting from the front hair line, down to the nape of the neck. Because this is a fun and de-constructed style, your partings do not need to be perfect. You may even choose to not part, and gather hair from the center as you work your way back during the style.

Step three: Take the mohawk section, and backcomb/ tease the hair. Gather small section of the hair at a time, place the comb about an inch from the scalp and pull the hair down with the comb, spray a little hairspray and continue as you work up the strands of hair from that section. Repeat until you have successfully backcombed/teased the entire mohawk section.

As you backcomb each section of the mohawk parting, you can lay that hair forward as you work your way back. Leave the two side sections alone, or pin out of the way.

DIY Tutorial: Faux Hawk Bridal Hairstyle

🎨️

Over the next month, every Friday, I'll be showcasing an original bridal (but not super traditional obviously!) hairstyle idea. These super simple but utterly gorgeous DIYs have been pulled together by the fantastic Your Cloud Parade, the first online marketplace dedicated to weddings, and 10.11 Make Up exclusively for Rock n Roll Bride!

Continue reading...

February 21, 2014

The Ultimate Beauty Product Guide For Brides-to-Be (and Me)

January 3, 2014 in Bridal Beauty. Written by Kat

MAC

A few months before our big day, I started hunting for the very best beauty products to get me wedding day perfect… and when I say ‘hunting’ what I really mean is ‘completely obsessing over’. I had to find the most budge resistant lipstick, the moisturiser that would make me look dewy and glowy but not at all shiny and the hair products to make sure my tresses were in tip top condition.

Now I don’t for one second think I am some kind of beauty guru, but I do happen to love scouring the aisles of Boots more than life itself. One of my intentions for 2014 is to take waaaay better care of myself (and have facials much more regularly!) and what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t share all of my findings with you too?

To kick off I wanted to share my favourite ‘can’t live without them’ products. These are all the items I completely swear by and use on a regular basis.

Hair

♥ If your hair needs some serious TLC then get your mitts on a bunch of Moroccan oil products. I’ve been using their hair oil treatment before I dry or style my hair forever, and while I was in Australia I treated myself to some of their Intense Hydrating Mask too.

My hair is really damaged (like really, really damaged) from so much abuse and after three weeks of non-stop travel, air conditioning and sea water it was well and truly crying out for some love. This stuff made my hair so soft, smooth and lovely that I’ve been using it every time I wash my hair since.

♥ If your hair is, like mine, really damaged from bleach, over-use of products or heat then you need to get yourself some Redkin extreme shampoo, conditioner and treatments. My hairdresser Elbie recommended them to me when my hair was so seriously bad that it snapped off every time I brushed it, and it’s worked wonders.

My hair is by no means perfect now but it is a million times more healthy than it was. A little warning though, this product contains a LOT of protein which will help to repair damaged hair that just snaps off. However if you use it for too long it will put too much protein in your hair which will make it stretchy and stringy. Only use this for as long as you need it and then move onto something less intense!

The Ultimate Beauty Product Guide For Brides-to-Be (and Me)

A few months before our big day, I started hunting for the very best beauty products to get me wedding day perfect... and when I say 'hunting' what I really mean is completely obsessing over. I had to find the most budge resistant lipstick, the moisturiser that would make me look dewy and glowy but not at all shiny and the hair products to make sure my tresses were in tip top condition.

Continue reading...

January 3, 2014

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